FOSSILS SPECIMEN: SEA STARS AND BRITTLE STARS

Fossils are defined as any evidence of prehistoric life. There are two types of fossils: Body Fossils include remains of skeletal bones, shell, carapace, test and teeth. Trace Fossils are clues the organism existed such as foot prints, tracks, burrows and coprolites (fossil dung).

Domain: Eukaria – Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Echinodermata “spiny skin” – Superclass: Asterozoa – Class: Ophiuroidea

(brittle stars)

Ordovician to Holocene

Fossil Brittle Star

Domain: Eukaria – Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Echinodermata “spiny skin” – Superclass: Asterozoa – Class: Asteroidea

(sea stars formerly “starfish”)

Triassic to Holocene

Fossil Sea Star